What foods in the US do you think only Americans would know about? Which are the most popular or well-known abroad?
I felt surprised when I first tried bún chả. As I explained previously, I had never tried or even heard of this dish before coming to Vietnam. In addition, I tried it for the first time in a windowless, second-floor restaurant down the street from the US embassy, where my cohort and I were taking a lunch break. We were ushered upstairs by two Vietnamese aunties, and the bowls and plates were quickly piled in front of us.
After learning the proper way to eat it, I had my first bite of noodles, sauce and meat. The sweetness of the sauce was the most surprising, pleasantly so as it beautifully complemented the almost sour, savory smokiness of the grilled meat. On top of that, vermicelli noodles, or bún, are the most slurpable and the lightest of the noodles. All of these factors combined for the perfect first bite. After that bite, the stress of getting to lunch and of the day overall melted away. Bún chả has become a comfort food for me in my time here, acting as a food I can rely on in the hectic, fast-paced days that define the speed of life here in Vietnam as a traveler.
There are four main components of bún chả: meat, dipping sauce, noodles and vegetables.
The meat is grilled, fatty pork (chả), and the preparation of the pork is what makes bún chả so tasty and special. The pork is minced, rolled into meatballs, marinated overnight and then squished between two metal grates.
